In a continued context of military action against the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) escalated its attacks yesterday killing six Palestinians and injuring two in one attack in the middle-Gaza area.
IOF also bulldozed agricultural land in the same area.
According to its field investigations, Al Mezan reported that at approximately 5pm on Monday 20 August 2007, an Israeli warplane bombarded a car near the entrance of former national security site called "Maqbula", which is about half a kilometer from the border between Israel and Gaza.
Six persons, who were in the car, were immediately killed.
They were identified as: 35-year-old Muhmmad Atiyaeh Abu Arab; 22-year-old Abid-Rabu Khaled Abu Hilow; 34year-old Ali Said Baroud; 35year-old Muhammad Ibrahim Al Qrinawi, 22-year-old Ismail Muhammad Abu Abdah; and 23-year-old Ahmed Ali Al Qrinawi.
All of them are residents of Al Bureij Camp.
A civilian passerby was also injured from shrapnel to his back in this attack.
He was identified as 22-year-old Muhammad Ramadan Al Shimi.
Eparlier at approximately 12pm on the same day, IOF troops reinforced by two tanks and armored bulldozers had penetrated the eastern outskirts of the Camp and bulldozed agricultural land.
It was reported that 56-year-old Muhammad Ubiad S'oud was injured from a live bullet in the right hand.
IOF opened intensive fire and artillery during this incursion.
Al Mezan Center condemns the IOF's aggression against the Gaza Strip.
It also strongly condemns extra-judicial assassination and willful killing of Gazans.
The Center denounces the use by IOF of excessive force in urban areas.
Sixteen Palestinians have been killed and 35 injured from IOF fire since the start of August 2007.
Al Mezan asserts that these conducts represent grave breaches of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the International Human Rights Law (IHRL); especially given their systematic nature, in a breach of Israel's legal obligations.
These acts continue under continued silence from the part of the international community, which has failed to observe its legal and moral obligations towards Palestinian civilians in OPT.
Al Mezan therefore renews its calls upon the international community to intervene and bring to an end the human rights violations conducted by IOF, and to provide effective protection for the civilian population of the OPT.
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